Isabella Whitney and the Female Legacy by Wendy Wall

Women writers are easily stereotyped; numerous individuals think that ladies should not be taken seriously by the public. Women during the time where not regarded as intelligent, strong writers. Even though there are few amazing women novelists, the majority pretends to know much more than they actually do. During this time period, women are regarded as only writing about fluffy love stories, topics they do not know enough about, and religion. When any person pretends they are more intellectual than they really are, people reflect upon them poorly. Women were not allowed to be educated similarly to the men, so it is not a surprise that women are not scholarly writers as to their counterparts. Many men have extremely famous books published,

In the sixteenth century the role of women in society was very limited. Women were generally stereotyped as housewives and mothers. They were to be married, living their life providing for her husband and children. The patriarchal values of the Elizabethan times regarded women as the weaker sex.’ Men were considered the dominant gender and were treated with the utmost respect by females. Women were mainly restricted within the confines of their homes and were not allowed to go school or to university, but they could be educated at home by private tutors. Men were said to be the ones to provide for their families financially. Women were often seen as not intelligent. Property could not be titled in the name of a female within the family. Legally everything the female had belonged to her husband. Poor and middle class wives were kept very busy but rich women were not idle either. In a big house they had to organize and supervise the servants.

The article, The Cult of Womanhood: 1820 - 1860 written by Barbara Welter discusses the philosophy towards women in America during the mid 19th century. A set of demands and expectations based upon four principles: piety, purity, submission and domesticity were placed on women as well as certain behavioral expectations left 19th century women feeling guilty. It also left women feeling this way during the industrialization period as well as having a huge presence of incompatibility with society. Welter shares her viewpoint that the Cult of Womanhood was an attempt to preserve pre modern values in the industrial age. Men held a dominant place in society and continued to prevent new opportunities for women to explore. Narrow minded

Being a young woman of this generation, I have come to realize the validity of a common bumper sticker quote: Well-behaved women seldom make history. Despite the fact that there is no verified initial speaker to this statement, the older I have gotten, the wider my eyes have become and the more of the world around me, I have seen in its full, vivid colors rather than the simple, crisp black-and-white of childhood. In my elementary days, being anything other than well behaved was downright frightening. The ever-bearing fear of disapproval weighed heavy upon my little shoulders, because frankly, speaking against adults was unforgivable and meant no rewards in the form of sweets or shiny foil stickers with terrible plays on words. But, I digress, the trueness of the statement solidified itself the older I got when the reality became clear; women are to be an object, a fixture, a malleable ball of clay left for shaping at the hands of the man she shadows. However true this may be, this paper, my last soapbox to preach observations upon, aims to reference: The Wife’s Lament, Beowulf, Paradise Lost, The Flea, and The Poetess’s Hasty Resolution to reiterate and further emphasize the use of, shift in, and development of gender roles. My primary focus resting upon the roles of women in literature throughout the time-periods discussed within the span of the semester.

As women in society has evolved to become innovational women of today’s time, creating genetic cures and becoming billionaire's through one children’s book ;it didn’t immediately happen over night. Women for centuries struggled their way to make a difference in the world, through patriarchal influence, being beaten their way back down to nothing as they attempt to climb up into society. The patriarchal idea has even spread to literature like British literature such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Beowulf, as they gave women such a antagonistic role within these tragic historical fictions. Gifting them such low character qualities that every reader seems to hate and even not giving certain women names! The deeper reason for the way women’s roles

In the nineteenth century women were mostly left out when it came to writing. A lot of women felt that they were not capable of writing or that their job was just to focus on the domestic aspects of life and that didn’t include writing. There are two women who stood out and up against the prejudices of the women in the nineteenth century. Both, Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson, were the first published female writers in America at the time. Both women faced the hardships of that time.

Gail Godwin’s “A Sorrowful Woman” represents the feminist thoughts of a woman oppressed by a male dominated society. In this society crated by Godwin, a woman’s role is as a homemaker, however the main character refuses to accept the role given to her. The woman withdrawals from her family and reality until she finally cannot handle it anymore and kills herself. Through the use of character development, Godwin is effectively able to shine light to how one could oppress a female through the hidden familial problems in what appears to be a happy marriage.

In Virginia Woolf’s short essay, Shakespeare’s Sister (1928), she explores the misogynistic world’s effect on women artists from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century. Depicted through an imaginary sister of Shakespeare, and her own experiences, Woolf explains how “in the nineteenth century a woman was not encouraged to be an artist.” Instead, women were deemed of no value beyond the home or child bearing (Jacobus 702). Such gender issues have emerged in every facet of our society, primarily concentrating on gender equality in areas like education, status, awareness, and availing of socio-economic opportunities. In today’s context, with an overall look at history, in comparison to men, women remain relatively more constrained by

In comparing the three authors and the literary works of women authors Kate Chopin (1850 -1904), The Awakening, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's (1860-1935), The Yellow Wallpaper, and Edith Wharton's (1862-1937) Souls Belated, a good number common social issues related to women are brought to light and though subtly pointed out are an outcry against the conventions of the time. In these three stories, which were written between 1899 and 1913, the era was a time in which it seems, that women had finally awaken to realize their social oppression and were becoming rebellious in their pursuit of freedom from

In any society, in effort to establish order, roles and jobs are assigned that its citizens are expected to undertake. Whether explicitly stated, or simply implied, these roles play a significant part in that society’s culture. However, the exact expectations of the people, particularly women, actually changes rather notably across various cultures. One need only look to a culture’s literature to find these changes. Examining most early eastern literature, such as Greek classics Theseus or Oedipus Rex, the role of women would be almost non existent. In contrast the role of women grows more significant through novels such as Pride & Prejudice and even lends itself to a invaluable position in other literature and cultures.

The 17th century was a time where there were many drastic differences between men and women. Their treatment, level of education, place in government, and social norms were some of the many that made a line between the genders. Sexism is tolerated and seen, and it is still reflected in our present society. Women are the suppressed gender and males reigned supreme. (Feminism in Literature Essay)

Throughout history, female artists have not been strangers to harsh criticism regarding their artistic works. Some female artists are fortunate to even receive such criticism; many have not achieved success in sharing their works with the world. In Virgina Woolf’s third chapter of her essay “A Room of One’s Own,” Woolf addresses the plight of the woman writer, specifically during the Elizabethan time period of England. Woolf helps the reader appreciate her view on how stifling and difficult this time period was for women and how what little creativity emerged would have been distorted in some way. Through a number of claims, examples and other literary techniques, Woolf is able to

Kimberly Anne Coles’ novel, Religion, Reform, and Women’s Writing in Early Modern England mainly focuses on women who emerged as published authors in England during the 16th century. Kimberly Anne Coles’ main argument and thesis can be found in the introduction of the novel entitled as “Introduction: Making Sects: Women as Reformers, Writers, and Subjects in Reformation England”. Coles’ main thesis for her novel is that the women’s writings that she discusses in her novel are considered as the most important and most influential works of 16th century England. For example, Kimberly Anne Coles states “This study therefore examines women as writers, and women as written, during the period surrounding the crucial shift to Protestantism in England.”

This powerful statement from Hillary Clinton underpins the injustices of female representation in the past. This silence is evident in the Bible verse, ‘Let your women keep silent in the churches,’ (I Corinthians 14: 34-37) and Virginia Woolf’s concept that “Anon … was often a woman [who could not otherwise get the respect of male counterparts].” (Virginia Woolf, 1928, A Room of One’s Own. PAGE). These are only two examples of how females have been largely disempowered by the male constraints of literature. In recent history feminists have deemed it necessary to research the lost and forgotten females and retell history from a distinctly female perspective. This issue is of significant concern to Carol Ann Duffy, the current Poet Laureate. Duffy subverts fairytales, myths and historical stories to empower women, giving them a voice and allowing their stories to be heard. This essay will argue that Carol Ann Duffy presents a feminist perspective in the poem ‘Little Red Cap’.

During Victorian era novelist had to develop ways to avoid posing as threats to the order of the society . Something which even make the look anti-feminist, but still many of female writers of that period are known today for their early feminist agendas embedded in their works. Elizabeth Gaskell was one of Britain’s best known female writers, She was a conservative women. Although she was not the part of “the women question” a movement started in mid nineteenth century and gave rise to what we today called feminism, But still